Nothing is better than getting an all expense paid vacation to Yosemite to take photos of a bunch of tree guys looking for adventure! BUT... there's a reason why I'm a photographer and not a super athletic mountain/tree climber wilderness junkie...
And I realized this once I was told by Chris (the guy who hired me) "If I had told you EVERYTHING you'd be doing, you probably wouldn't have come so I knew I had to leave a lot out to get you here."
"Everything" included things like sleeping in a hammock 250 feet up in a sequioa tree in 40 - 50 degree weather, immediately begin the hike up to El Capitan the next day during a rainstorm, sleep in a hammock in the cold again... continue hiking to the peak of El Cap the next day and then immediately start the 10 mile descent after reaching the top.
😑
Needless to say, I was physically pushed to my limits but I was ready to do whatever it took to get the shot and the rewards were unforgettable. Luckily, my brother was there to make sure I wasn't eaten by a bear when I straggled too far behind the group 😅
My pain face and my patient brother ☝🏼